William Brong (Credit: Souderton Area School District)
William Brong resigned, and was then reappointed at a brief, contentious special meeting Wednesday afternoon, five days before a reorganization meeting
A noon special meeting of the Souderton Area School Board on Wednesday drew a packed, and often tense, audience as the board voted to accept the resignations of two sitting directors — then immediately filled a vacancy by re-appointing one of the men who had just stepped down.
The agenda, available on BoardDocs, listed three action items: accepting the resignation of Nicholas Braccio, accepting the resignation of William Brong, and approving the appointment of “an eligible community member” to fill the unexpired term left by Braccio.
The voting record did not identify in advance who the appointee would be, and the results of the vote were not transparent on the agenda showing who was appointed to the seat.
According to the final votes, directors unanimously approved Braccio’s resignation, then Brong’s, and, within minutes, voted to fill a vacancy using the third motion.
All six members present — Janet Flisak, Andrew Landis, Stephen Nelson, William Formica, Kimberly Wheeler, and Michael Barnacz — cast votes in favor of each action.
Ken Keith was not at the meeting.
It was only after those votes that the outcome became clear: Brong, who did not seek re-election this cycle and had just resigned his seat, was chosen to return and complete the open term.
Brong was recently honored a plaque by the PA School Boards Association for his 20 years of service and "undying dedication to the students."
The move preserves the board’s Republican majority days before newly-elected Democratic directors are scheduled to be sworn in on Monday.
The sequence triggered sharp frustration among many in attendance. NBC10 reported that residents arrived in aprons and oven mitts to emphasize that the Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving meeting was scheduled at a time when families are typically preparing for the holiday.
The gathering lasted less than half an hour, with the board exiting 22 minutes in as chants of “Shame” filled the room.
Multiple speakers accused the board of rushing major decisions before new leadership is seated, pointing out that the district has 30 days to fill a vacancy under law, per the report.
"I’m tired of the school board making our community look like a bunch of idiots to the people around us. They are embarrassing themselves," resident Chris Spigel said.
"They should take what the community wants into account and they are not doing that," resident Anna Pugliese said.
Only one public speaker expressed support for the vote.
Board President Nelson simply said: "He has the experience we need."
According to NBC10, residents who objected vowed to continue pressing for transparency as the incoming board prepares to assume office next week.
